Special Features

3. Sao Paulo, Brazil - app. 9,839,436

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Founded in 1554 by Portuguese Jesuit missionaries, Sao Paulo has evolved into South America's largest city, with over 9.8 million residents. It remained a small town until the mid-19th century, when it became a chief commercial center in Brazil's coffee industry.

Nowadays, including outlying suburbs and rural areas, this urban center is home to some 23.7 million inhabitants. As a culturally diverse population, many Paulistanos are the descendants of Italian, Japanese and other ethnic migrants. Contemporary Sao Paulo is a dynamic metropolis known for its exciting nightlife.